This fall saw a shortage of "comfortable" fall days in the 60s and 70s.PHOTO:National Weather Service

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By the Numbers: Not Much Fall at All

By National Weather Service

PADUCAH - According to the National Weather Service's recap of our fall weather, there were very few of the classic fall days for Paducah and western Kentucky.

From September 1 thru the end of November, temperatures included a wide range of extremes, but a shortage of "normal" days. September started with several near record hot days, including 97 degrees on the 20th. Temperatures remained above average into the second week of October, but then dipped almost immediately to near record lows. The second half of the 3-month period was predominantly below normal, including a rare measurable snowfall in November.

What happened to all the comfortable 60- and 70-degree afternoons we love so much in the fall? Only 31 of the 90 days fell into that range for Paducah. Only two of the past 80 falls have seen so few; 26 days in 1976, and 31 days in 1997. During most falls Paducah enjoys about 44 days with highs in the 60s and 70s.

It was one of the ten wettest falls on record for Paducah. No part of our region was lacking for moisture, as farmers trying to get in the harvest fields could attest. The normal rainfall total for fall in western Kentucky is 10 to 12 inches, but this season most western Kentucky counties saw 14 to 18 inches of precipitation.